‘The End Of The F***ing World’ Gives A Morbidly Sweet Voice To Young Love

“I’m James. I’m 17. And I’m pretty sure I’m a psychopath.” You would be hard-pressed to find a more engaging opening line than the one that starts Netflix and Channel 4‘s latest title. Yet despite the show’s morbid tone and love of portraying the more complicated and taboo sides of relationships, there’s an underlying sweetness to this weird little love story. The End of the F***ing World is a show of layers, and if viewers are willing to sort through them, they will be treated to one of the most heartfelt reflections of young love and the stupidity of adolescence currently on TV.

The charms of The End of the F***ing World (TEOTFW) perpetually lie in its darkness. Created by Jonathan Entwistle and based on Charles S. Forsman’s graphic novel series of the same name, the series follows James (Alex Lawther), the surly teenager responsible for the above quote. James hates his father, hates his classmates, and overall seems to hate his life. The only thing that brings him anything close to joy is James’ deep desire to kill another person. That’s where Alyssa (Jessica Barden) comes in.

From their first scenes together, it’s immediately clear that James and Alyssa are a poor fit. While James stars off solemnly like an Edgar Allen Poe character, Alyssa rages through life as the bundle of misguided energy she is. Like James, she hates her family, hates her classmates, and hates her life, but her displeasure takes a more explosive form, often causing her to curse out waitresses, storm away, and make impulsive decisions. They’re a terrible match, even if you forget about the fact that James wants to kill his new girlfriend. However, because they’re bound by their mutual hatred for anything and everything, there’s genuine chemistry lurking beneath the show’s intentionally stilted dialogue. It’s a dynamic that can only work as well as it does through a teenage love story.

That’s part of what TEOTFW does so well. James and Alyssa aren’t idyllic family-friendly teens, barely-of-age sex symbols, or the stereotypical bad kids teenagers are often portrayed as. They’re just irrational and angry. Really angry. Watching that misguided rage emerge through explosive conversations and shocking crimes felt like one of the most emotionally accurate  portrayals of adolescence I’ve ever seen. The series has a deep understanding of its young characters without ever letting them off the hook for their misdeeds. In that way, TEOTFW is a lot like what I imagine a collaboration between John Greene and Wes Anderson would look like.

The Anderson comparison certainly isn’t undeserved. From the show’s carefully measured dialogue and focus on symmetry to its excellent musical choices and swelling score composed by Graham Coxon, TEOTFW has the same notes of aloof coolness that have come to define Anderson’s work. It’s an intrinsically pleasant show to look at, even when its main characters are covered in blood. However, also like Anderson’s work, there’s heart underneath this quirky series. As James and Alyssa spend more and more time together, they start to see why they were drawn together in the first place and realize that they may not be as messed up as they think they are.

A lot of credit goes to Lawther and Barden for infusing their characters with a perfect blend of anger, apathy, and underlying kindness. Though James introduces himself to the audience as someone who desperately wants to be a murderer, it’s hard not to feel sorry for the wide-eyed boy. Lawther brings the same sense of inherent sympathy to the role as he brought to his Black Mirror episode. Barden’s Alyssa, on the other hand, is a delightful mess. While the series shows Alyssa screaming at the people she loves and running away, her ever-conflicted inner monologue saves the character from ever becoming a real monster. Alyssa isn’t a bad person. She’s just a young girl who doesn’t know how to express herself. If you hate her periodically throughout the series, that’s kind of the point.

From its near-vulgar title right down to its final moments, The End of the F***ing World is an odd show. How could it not be? It’s a rom-com about a teenage boy who starts a relationship with a girl so he can kill her. However, if you give this quirky and jaded gem a chance, it will deliver a sweet and honest story about young love that is deeply relatable to anyone who has has been an angst-ridden teenager.

Stream The End of the F***ing World on Netflix January 5